Battery pack of stair-like structure

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a battery pack including secondary batteries which can be charged and discharged. The battery pack is configured such that secondary batteries having different sizes are stacked to form a stair-like structure having a width and a height.

1 . A battery pack comprising two or more battery cells stacked in a height direction on the basis of a plane, wherein
 one or more battery cells have the same size as or different sizes than one or more other battery cells, and   the battery cells having different sizes are stacked to form a one or more stair-like structure having a width and a height.   
     
     
         2 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein one or more battery cells have different sizes. 
     
     
         3 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein battery cells are stacked in a direction opposite to the height direction symmetrically to the battery cells stacked in the height direction on the basis of the plane. 
     
     
         4 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure has (i) different widths and stair heights or (ii) the same stair height and different widths. 
     
     
         5 . The battery pack according to  claim 4 , wherein the width and/or the stair height is changed based on a radius of curvature of a device in which the battery pack is mounted. 
     
     
         6 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is configured such that the height is gradually decreased from a lower end to an upper end of the stair-like structure in the height direction on the basis of the plane. 
     
     
         7 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is configured such that the height is gradually increased from a lower end to an upper end of the stair-like structure in the height direction on the basis of the plane. 
     
     
         8 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is configured such that the width is gradually increased from a lower end to an upper end of the stair-like structure in the height direction on the basis of the plane. 
     
     
         9 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is configured such that the width is gradually decreased from a lower end to an upper end of the stair-like structure in the height direction on the basis of the plane. 
     
     
         10 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein each battery cell is a plate-shaped battery cell. 
     
     
         11 . The battery pack according to  claim 10 , wherein the plate-shaped battery cell is a pouch-shaped battery cell configured to have a structure in which a stack of cathodes, separators, and anodes, i.e. an electrode assembly, is received in a cell case, the cell case is sealed by thermal welding after the electrode assembly is impregnated with an electrolyte, and a cathode terminal and an anode terminal protrude outward from the cell case. 
     
     
         12 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is formed at an electrode terminal non-formation region. 
     
     
         13 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the stair-like structure is formed at an electrode terminal formation region. 
     
     
         14 . The battery pack according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the pouch-shaped battery cell is any one selected from a group consisting of a battery cell having a circular structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one corner of which is curved, and a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one side of which is curved, and   the cathode terminal and the anode terminal are formed at one end of the battery cell.   
     
     
         15 . The battery pack according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the pouch-shaped battery cell is any one selected from a group consisting of a battery cell having a circular structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one corner of which is curved, and a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one side of which is curved, and   the cathode terminal and the anode terminal are formed at one end of the battery cell and the other end of the battery cell opposite to one end of the battery cell, respectively.   
     
     
         16 . The battery pack according to  claim 11 , wherein
 the pouch-shaped battery cell is any one selected from a group consisting of a battery cell having a circular structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one corner of which is curved, and a battery cell having a polygonal structure in plane, at least one side of which is curved, and   the cathode terminal and the anode terminal are located at adjacent sides of the battery cell.   
     
     
         17 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the battery pack is formed in the shape of a frustum of a quadrangular pyramid. 
     
     
         18 . The battery pack according to  claim 3 , wherein the battery pack is formed in the shape of a frustum of an octagonal pyramid. 
     
     
         19 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the battery cells are electrically connected to each other. 
     
     
         20 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein each battery cell has electrode terminals, and at least one selected from among a total length, a total width, and a total height of one of the electrode terminals is different from that of the other electrode terminal or the total length, the total width, and the total height of one of the electrode terminals are equal to those of the other electrode terminal. 
     
     
         21 . The battery pack according to  claim 20 , wherein the battery cells are stacked such that the electrode terminals are stacked in a overlapped state to electrically connect the battery cells. 
     
     
         22 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein the battery cells have different sizes. 
     
     
         23 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein a system component of a device, in which the battery pack is mounted, is located at the stair-like structure. 
     
     
         24 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , further comprising an adhesion means or a bonding means to couple the battery cells. 
     
     
         25 . The battery pack according to  claim 24 , wherein the adhesion means or the bonding means is an adhesive, a bonding agent, a double-sided adhesive tape, or a double-sided bonding tape. 
     
     
         26 . The battery pack according to  claim 1 , wherein a spacer is disposed between the battery cells and a system component of a device is located at a portion of the spacer. 
     
     
         27 . The battery pack according to  claim 26 , wherein the spacer is formed in a frame shape corresponding to outer circumferential regions of the battery cells facing each other. 
     
     
         28 . The battery pack according to  claim 26 , wherein an adhesion means or a bonding means of a predetermined thickness to couple the battery cells is applied to a top and a bottom of the spacer or a double-sided adhesive tape is attached to the top and the bottom of the spacer. 
     
     
         29 . A device comprising a battery pack according to  claim 1  as a power source. 
     
     
         30 . The device according to  claim 29 , wherein the device is selected from among a mobile phone, a portable computer, a smartphone, a smart pad, a laptop computer, a light electronic vehicle (LEV), an electric vehicle, a hybrid electric vehicle, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, and a power storage unit.